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0. P. WILBURXE D. SANFORD.

SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER PURPOSES. No. 252,827. Patented Ja11.24,1882.

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N. PETERS. PhnloLilhngr-lphen Washington. n.c.

- UNrrao STATES FFI OSCAR F. WILB UR AND DAVID SANFORD, OF ASHTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND NATHAN A. PETRIE, OF SAME PLACE.

SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYAND OTHER PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 252,827, dated January 24, 1882. Application filed September 24, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that we, OSCAR F. WILBUR and DAVID SANFORD, ofAshton, in the county of Lee and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signals for Railway and other Purposes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of our invention is to provide simple, cheap, and et'ficient means for operating signals and to overcome difficulties that have hitherto existed with nearly all signals used that is to say, to obtain simple and at the same time effective fastenings.

Our invention consists in the special devices,

hereinafter described and claimed, foroperating and locking signals.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate 2c corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of our improved signaling apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, partially sectional, and with the hood or covering removed, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism.

A is a beam fixed at a suitable height, and

carrying the signals and operating mechanism at one end, which end may project over or at the side of the track, so that the signals will 0 be plainly descernible from either direction. The end of beam A is apertured to receive one end of a vertical shaft, to, which is sustained at its lower end. by a hanger, b. On the lower end of shaft a a signalboard, c, is fixed in a 5 horizontal direction, and upon the upper end of the shaft is a lantern, (I, provided on two opposite sides with red glasses corresponding to the similarly-colored sides of the hoard c. The other two sides of the lantern may have 40 white or green glasses.

Upon the shaft or is a loose sleeve, 6, provided with a spiral groove,f, through which a pin, g,

on the shaft projects. A forked lever, h, hung by one end beneath the beam A, extends by 5 its forked end at each'side of sleeve 0 and is pinned thereto. The moving end of lever It extends a suitable distance, and is connected by a link with a crank-lever, i, that in turn is connected bya link, 7;, to a hand-lever, l, with which the signal is operated. This lever l is to be placed in the depot, or at any convenient place for operation.

Thelever his provided with a weight, at, and a spring, a, is fitted between thelever and beam A, so that the weight and spring cooperate to force the lever down and retain the board cin a position to show its red sides to an approaching train, and also to exhibit the red glasses of the lantern.

Upon the beam A is a hood, 0, covering the mechanism. Thehood is apertured to allow projection of shaft a above, and to allow close fitting of the hood to the shaft. The squared head p on the 611(L0f the shaft over which the lantern sets is made removable, so that it can be put in place after the hood is put on, thereby excluding water from the mechanism. If necessary, a rubber collar or other packing may be fitted around the shaft to render the joint water-tight. 7

The movement of sleeve 0 up or down by operation of lever It causes a quarter-revolution of shaft a, and consequently the changing of the signal. The normal position is with the lever raised and the signal indicating safety, and to retain the parts in that position a suitable catch, as shown at q, is provided for bolding the hand-lever l. ()n release of the lever l the spring and weight on lever I: move that lever down and cause display of the dangersignals, and the same result follows in case any of the connections break.

To look shaft a'in either position as turned, so that it cannot be turned by wind acting-on the board, the spiral slotf of the sleeve is extended at its ends parallel to the axis of the sleeve to form recesses into which the pin 9 enters at the completion of the movement, so that the shaft is held from turning except by movement of the sleeve.

This mechanism is simple and easily operated. The lever h is relieved of the weight of the shaft and signals, so that but little power is required for its operation.

We do not limit ourselves to the slotted sleeve as the means for turning the shaft by the movement-of the lever, as the construction can be varied. For instance, the shaft may have an inclined wing taking a straight slot in the lever, or the reverse.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of shaft a, carrying the signal devices, the operating-lever h, connected with the shaft, and devices, substantially as described, to turn the shaft without moving it endwise, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of shaft a, carrying sig naling device, the sleeve 0, and the operatinglever h, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of shaft a, carrying sig nal devices, operating lever 71, crank-lever *6,

link k, and hand-lever l, substantially as shown and described, for operation as set forth.

4. The removable head 19, formed to carry a lantern, in combination with the shaft a and hood 0, substantially as shown and described.

5. The sleeve 0, provided with a slot,f, and fitted for movement by lever h, combined with shaft to, having pin 9, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose of turning and locking the shaft, as specified.

OSCAR F. VVILBUR. DAVID SANFORD. Witnesses:

JOHN WILLIAMS, GEORGE 1t. CHARTERS. 

